Dubai skyscraper with thousands of residents bursts into flames

A massive blaze has engulfed a 67-storey residential tower in Dubai’s luxury Marina district, forcing thousands to flee.

A massive blaze has engulfed a 67-storey residential tower in Dubai’s luxury Marina district, forcing thousands to flee.

The inferno broke out at the Marina Pinnacle building at around 9.30pm on Friday (local time).

All 3,820 residents from the building were safely evacuated as emergency crews from Dubai Civil Defence battled the fire for six hours before it was contained.

The Dubai skyscraper caught fire. Picture: X

The Dubai building was ablaze. Picture: X

“Ambulance teams and medical staff are on site to offer full medical and mental support to the safely evacuated residents,” a spokesperson for the DMO said on X.

Residents were provided with temporary housing in a coordinated effort from the authorities as well as the building’s developers.

This picture shows the damage after a fire broke out at the building in Dubai's Yas Marina. Picture: AFP

Emergency responders cordon off the area at the site after a fire broke out in a building in Dubai's Yas Marina. Picture: AFP

One resident, Indian expat Prateek M, described how he and his young family escaped the flames.

“Neighbours from the next building shouted and told me our tower was on fire,” he told Khaleej Times.

“I grabbed my son and told my wife to head straight to the emergency exit.”

He and his family evacuated the smoke-filled stairwells.

“We had to hold on to the shoulders of the person in front of us,” he said.

“Once we reached the parking levels, where it’s more ventilated, we could breathe a little better.”

Investigations into the fire are underway.